Blackpool 0-0 Bolton: Match Report

01 October 2013 10:31

Bolton's winless run to start the season extended in to double figures, but they picked up another point in a goalless draw to inch closer to leaving the Sky Bet Championship relegation zone.

The Trotters came to Bloomfield Road having accrued just one point from their four games on the road, yet they were to double that total by the time the final whistle sounded.

It could have been more, Jermaine Beckford hitting a post and forcing a brilliant save from Matt Gilks in the second half, and boss Dougie Freedman will have been encouraged by a performance against a side who had dropped just two points at home prior to this clash.

In a bid to avoid stretching their winless run in to a third month, Freedman made five changes, leaving the likes of Zat Knight, Chris Eagles, David Ngog and Chung Yong-Lee on a strong-looking bench.

Freedman signed three loanees at the end of last week and Liam Feeney, Neil Danns and Kevin McNaughton all made their full debuts.

It was the former who looked really keen to impress early on too, with a series of foraging runs down the right wing.

His first delivery was deflected and nearly dropped in to the far corner over a bewildered Gilks in the Blackpool goal.

Feeney's next cross was fired into Craig Cathcart by Jay Spearing as the hosts weathered the initial storm.

Then it was Paul Ince's team's turn to acquire the impetus, which started when Stephen Dobbie's goal was correctly chalked off due to Ricardo Fuller's offside position.

Midfielder Chris Basham screwed a shot wide following patient build-up and Bobby Grant fired straight at Bolton goalkeeper Adam Bogdan when presented with a great chance.

The eager Feeney then hacked away from a goalmouth scramble as the Seasiders ended the half on a high.

Yet, just as they had done minutes after kick-off, Bolton upped the ante early on in the second period.

An error by Cathcart was pounced upon by Darren Pratley and he released Beckford, who worked space for the shot and saw his side-footed effort kiss the post before the danger was quickly averted.

Both sides looked anxious to get an opener and Blackpool, themselves without a win in three, thought Dobbie had wriggled through in the area but he met Tim Ream's sliding challenge.

Chances were simply failing to materialise at both ends, Alex Baptiste stealing the ball away from Thomas Ince and Beckford failing to connect with an elaborate overhead kick.

The Jamaican international, so prolific at Leeds, was to be thwarted by a fantastic one-handed Gilks save with Baptiste beaten to the rebound then, from the resulting corner, Ream slammed over from all of six yards.

Ince extended Bodgan in the final throws yet neither side were able to force a breakthrough on a tense night on the coast.